The Film
This counterculture biker film has been called a "western on motorcycles" and it clearly evokes the tradition of the American frontier myth, where the hero can't live in normal society. So whether this is a road film, a modern western or just a counterculture ride down the highway Easy Rider is one that goes nowhere slow, but reminds us that getting there is the real journey. As a couple of "long hairs" looking for the good life, this film has equal parts drugs, sex and a rock 'n roll soundtrack that is sort of like the 1960s. It doesn't look as good as people remember it, but it looks like they had fun at the time.
The Picture
From beginning to end the film has an almost hazy appearance to it, but that's owed more to the cinematography of the era - and is most notable in the 16mm scenes shot in and around New Orleans. While grainy in some sequences this is really the finest the movie has looked and Sony did a great job bringing a 40-year-old film up to par. The 1080p 1.85:1 presentation transports a blast from the past, and while muted due to age the colors still pop, whether it is the scenery on the road trip or the red, white and blue on Captain America's bike and jacket.
The Sound
Made more than a decade before MTV arrived, Easy Rider feels like an extended music video, evoking the music of the era better than nearly any film had done, or has done since. In fact, this might be the only film where Stepenwolf's "Born to be Wild" doesn't sound ironic or clichéd. However, while the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack delivers clear dialog along with the few sound effects, the music is a tad hot at times. This one also has a bonus audio track that includes the original mono audio in English, so you can hear it the way people heard movies 40 years ago!
The Extras
Did Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda try to pull a fast getaway on us? This 40th anniversary edition includes the 1999 documentary "Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage," which was used on the 35th anniversary DVD. So this explains why Hooper and Fonda look so good "40" years later, and why László Kovács looks alive (sadly, he passed away in 2007), and why this featurette is in matted 480p. The film also includes a commentary track from Hopper and some 1080p previews of other films including Ghostbusters, A River Runs Through It and The Da Vinci Code. The disc also is BD-Live enabled, featuring MovieIQ, which includes basic trivia and information about the film.
Final Thoughts
For a film that basically goes nowhere by way of crossing the Southern part of the country circa 1968, it is an interesting ride; and Easy Rider has never looked or sounded this good. For the collector this is also the latest reissue from Sony that comes as a deluxe booklet, complete with some interesting facts about the film and some stills. But it is still disappointing that there aren't any notable "extras" for a 40th anniversary edition - guess Sony will roll out something really big in 10 years!
Product Details
- Actors: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
- Director: Dennis Hopper
- Audio Languages: English, French and Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Original Mono
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: R
- Studio: Columbia Pictures
- Release Date: October 20, 2009
- Run Time: 95 minutes
- List Price: $38.96
- Extras:
- Theatrical Trailers
- "Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage" featurette
- Commentary by Dennis Hopper
- MovieIQ feature
- BD-Live
